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5 reasons to be cautiously optimistic about AI
“AI is scary.” … “AI is awesome.”
Two things can be true at once.
Anyone else dealing with AI fatigue?
The sheer number of times I say “AI” in a given day is enough to add a few gray hairs to my head. Data centers dominate headlines. Every software platform promises AI-powered solutions. Every conference seems to have an AI session.
It can feel overwhelming.
But here’s the simple reality: AI is here to stay.
While it’s easy to focus on reasons to feel discouraged or uneasy about AI becoming part of nearly every aspect of life, there are also plenty of reasons to be optimistic. It comes down to smart usage, ethical practices, and using AI as a collaborator rather than a replacement.
After all, video didn’t kill the radio star. Radio adapted. (They’re called podcasters now.)
Back in March, I had the opportunity to speak at the Tennessee 811 Damage Prevention Summit.
While there, I attended a session led by Ryan Casey from Skapa , a Virginia-based software development firm.
Ryan spoke about the implementation of AI in the damage prevention industry, and his presentation struck the right balance of realism and optimism. It was engaging, practical, and insightful enough that afterward, I knew I wanted to sit down and pick his brain further.
So I did.
Here are five key takeaways from our conversation that left me feeling cautiously optimistic about AI.
1. AI Can Handle the “Drudgery”
Ryan described AI as a tool that helps remove repetitive computer work that eats up time. Things like sorting data, drafting emails, organizing reports, or researching information can now happen much faster.
That does not mean people become unnecessary. It means people can spend more time solving problems, communicating, and making decisions instead of clicking through spreadsheets for hours.
2. It Works Best as a Partner, Not a Replacement
One of the biggest takeaways from the conversation was this: AI still needs human oversight. Ryan repeatedly stressed that collaboration is the key.
In other words, AI should help you think, not think for you.
If someone simply copies and pastes whatever AI spits out without checking it, problems are going to happen. But when experienced people use it as a tool to speed up research, brainstorming, or analysis, it can become extremely useful.
Take my blog for example. Do I use AI to help me with it? Of course I do!
But I do it in a collaborative way. I don’t just start by telling it “write me a blog about _____”.
Instead I have my topic in mind and start with my own thoughts by writing them out, dumping everything in my stream of consciousness into a word document.
Then I go to AI to help me polish, check for grammar, and reorganize before posting.
I would never assign my name to something a computer wrote from start to finish (can’t say the same for some of those LinkedIn influencers out there …)
But checking for grammar issues? I need all the help I can get…
3. Healthy Skepticism Is Actually a Good Thing
Ryan openly said people should be wary of AI.
That was refreshing to hear.
The best way to approach AI is probably the same way we approach excavation work: trust, but verify. Start small. Use it for low-risk tasks. Learn what it does well and where it struggles.
Most importantly, avoid putting sensitive company data into tools that have not been approved by your organization.
4. AI Can Improve Damage Prevention
Skapa is already using AI to help identify errors in 811 locate requests and improve reporting processes.
Damage prevention generates massive amounts of data. AI can help sort, categorize, and analyze that information faster than humans realistically can.
Used correctly, that could help utilities, excavators, and 811 centers reduce mistakes and improve communication.
The numbers from the Common Ground Alliance’s DIRT Report show that damages are going up, not down. Perhaps AI is just the tool we need to help correct course.
5. People Have Adapted Before
Every major technology shift has created fear. People were panicked about the internet (remember the Y2K fears??!) Some thought smartphones would spell the end of civilization. Even electricity took decades to fully spread through industry.
AI will absolutely change the way we work. But change does not automatically mean disaster. 30 years ago, over 60% of the jobs we have now didn’t exist.
The people who will benefit most are probably not the ones blindly embracing AI or completely rejecting it. It will likely be the people willing to learn it carefully, question it often, and use it responsibly.
Data Center Safety Identification & Marking Guide
As AI continues to reshape how we work, think, and solve problems, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: none of it happens without infrastructure.
The explosive growth of AI is fueling unprecedented demand for data centers across the country, and with that growth comes a need for smarter marking, identification, and safety solutions.
That is why we put together our Data Center Marking Guide.
From underground utility marking during construction to durable labeling systems that keep operations running efficiently, this guide details all the marking products required to safety communicate critical information within a data center and help protect America’s digital future.